1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to jacks and support stands. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved jack and support stand for holding a spool of electrical wire or the like while working with the wire.
2. State of the Art
Installing electrical wires in commercial, industrial, or municipal applications typically involves wires of significantly greater length and diameter than in an ordinary home. The wires are typically installed by pulling the same through a previously installed electrical conduit. As such, these wires are typically available on large spools. Spools of wire for these types of applications are often three feet or larger in diameter, and may weigh more than a thousand pounds.
To facilitate installation of the wire, the spool of wire is mounted on a stand by placing an axle (such as a steel pipe) through the axis of the spool and placing the axle ends on the stand. The spool rotates about the axle as the wire is pulled from the spool into the conduit. Existing stands are undesirable as they require a person to exert a large amount of force to lift the spool off of the ground and onto the stand to thereby allow the spool to spin freely. Larger spools of wire may require multiple persons or even machinery to lift on to the stands. Available stands are also undesirable as there is some danger of the axle falling off of the top of existing stands due to the lateral forces which may be applied when installing the wire into a conduit. Thicker wires will often require a relatively high force to pull the wire from the spool, and this force may displace the spool from the stand. It will be appreciated that this creates a safety danger for persons working around the spool of wire, especially where the spool of wire is heavy and not easily moved by a single person.
There is thus a need for an improved stand for supporting spools of wire during installation. There is need for a stand which incorporates a lifting mechanism which allows a person to lift a spool of wire off of the ground with minimal effort. There is need for a stand which securely holds the axle while allowing the axle and spool of wire to turn freely while dispensing wire. There is also a need for a stand which is stable, minimizing the risk of accidents while in use.